Think about the daily tools you use to run your business. Maybe you have a website or rely on Google Analytics to track your website's performance. These days, there are tools for virtually every aspect of a business, including customer feedback.

We at SURVEY PAISA offer a customer feedback solution that lets you gather valuable insights from your customers to improve your products and services. But we're just one of many options out there.

We've put together this quick guide to help you make an informed decision about which tool is right for you. It will help you understand customer feedback tools, why they're important, and how to choose the best one for your business.

Types of customer feedback tools

There is more than one type of customer feedback tool, and each one serves a unique purpose. Understanding the different types available can help you choose the right tool for your business.

You may use one or more of the following:

Survey platforms

We may be biased, but we believe one of the best ways to gather customer feedback is through surveys. They allow you to ask specific questions and get detailed answers, making it easy to understand your customers' likes, dislikes, and preferences.

Our software offers a wide choice of survey templates for various industries and purposes. So, it's easy to create customised surveys tailored to your business needs. You can embed them across your online presence, and we make it easy to analyse the results.

There are surveys for:

• Net Promoter Score (NPS)
• Customer effort score (CES)
• Customer service
• Post-purchase feedback
• Product feedback
• And much more!

Live chat and messaging apps

Live chat and messaging apps allow customers to communicate with your business in real-time. They can share their thoughts, ask questions, or report issues as they use your product or service.

This real-time feedback can be incredibly valuable. For example, a customer struggling to find a specific feature on your website can quickly message you for help. This solves their immediate problem and alerts you to a potential user experience issue you can address.

Email feedback systems

Email is one of the oldest and most widely used forms of digital communication. Businesses can use email feedback systems to gather customer feedback through targeted surveys or simple email replies.

This tool may not be as immediate as live chat or messaging apps, but it can be a good option for businesses that want to collect more detailed feedback or reach a larger audience. Plus, many people are comfortable with email, making it a familiar and non-intrusive way to ask for feedback.

Social listening tools

Social listening tools are slightly different. Instead of actively seeking feedback, they allow businesses to monitor and analyse what is being said about their brand on social media.

You're watching your customers in their natural habitat, so they are not pressured to respond. However, it does require an established presence on social media platforms. If you're a start-up and barely get any mentions yet, you may want to wait before investing in this type of tool.

Review and rating platforms

Finally, review and rating platforms offer a more manual approach to gathering feedback. These are websites or apps where customers can leave ratings and reviews for businesses.

Think of platforms like Google Reviews, Yelp, or TripAdvisor. These can be especially powerful for businesses in the service industry, as positive reviews and ratings can greatly influence potential customers.

Monitor these platforms for customer feedback and respond appropriately. That advice is good, whether addressing negative reviews or showing appreciation for positive ones. Remember, this type of feedback is also public, so it can have a strong impact on your online reputation—which can be either a good thing or a bad thing!

Key features to look for in customer feedback tools

Regardless of the type of feedback tool you decide to use, there are certain key features that you should look for. After all, you don't want to add more to your plate and end up with an overwhelming amount of data to sift through.

Here are some important features to consider:

• Customisation: Ability to tailor surveys, questions, branding, etc. to your business's specific needs
• Automation: Workflows that automatically distribute surveys and analyse results to save you time
• Integration: Connects with your existing platforms like email, CRM, analytics, and more
• Reporting and analytics: Provides visual, easy-to-understand feedback analysis with actionable insights
• Multi-channel data collection: Gathers feedback from different sources (email, web, mobile app, etc.) for a complete view

Benefits of using customer feedback tools

As you'll see when you start researching the right tools, most of the ones with advanced features come with a price tag. Yet, consider these benefits to see if it's worth the investment:

Improved customer loyalty

They say it costs 5-7 times more to attract a new customer than to keep an existing one. Customer feedback tools can help you identify what your customers love about your business and what might be driving them away.

For example, you might discover through a survey that customers love your product but find your checkout process frustrating. Armed with this knowledge, you can improve your checkout process and keep those customers coming back.

Better product development

Using customer feedback in market research is a great way to gain insights into their needs and preferences. Feedback tools can help collect valuable product ideas and identify areas for improvement.

This feedback directly informs product enhancements and innovations. For instance, if multiple customers suggest a new feature for your product, you can prioritise developing that feature in your next update.